Longmont Looks Towards Monitoring Air Quality

On Wednesday November 28th, Dr. Detlev Helmig of INSTAAR presented his research from ongoing air monitoring at Boulder Reservoir, to a crowded room of Longmont residents at Front Range Community College. Joan Peck, a Longmont City Council member, organized the meeting in conjunction with the Longmont Public Forum to educate and receive feedback and opinions from residents.

“[after a city council meeting] A new resident in Longmont said that he was as concerned as I was and wanted to know if I knew that the air monitoring that was being done at the Boulder reservoir grant was running out and were we interested in Longmont to do something…he contacted Dr. Detlev Helmig and asked if he would meet. Over the summer we got together and finally got this meeting that we had tonight.”

The INSTAAR air monitoring happening at the Boulder Reservoir was to finish in September 2018. Earthworks funded the project to continue through the end of 2018 and Boulder County has indicated that they will fund the air monitoring systems through 2019.

Peck says that city council gave direction to the city of Longmont staff to purchase some air monitoring equipment.

“So if the data is good as far as telling us how much ethane is in the air, how the ozone is being effected, then what I have asked the group that is here tonight what do you want to do with that data, this is your city, tell us what you want to do. Then as residents we can take that data to the state legislature and hopefully get the COGCC to do their job. They are in their  in their rules and regulations, in their mission statement, supposed to be monitoring this.”

Peck says she hopes people who attended Wednesday’s meeting on air quality will show up in January for a follow up meeting on the health impacts of fracking. That is scheduled for Wednesday, January 23rd from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Longmont Public Library.
 

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